For You and Me
by intricate-bindings
Summary: Hikaru is dead, and Kaoru is only hanging on by a thread. Hidden emotions lead to confessions and more heartbreak...will the death of a Hitachiin destroy the host club's members?
1. Funeral

**AN: Okay, so this was originally a story I was going to turn in for free-choice writing. It only had Tamaki and Kyoya as friends, considering themselves brothers. It also was only 2,000 words…but here is the new and improved romance version (because I think turning a near-yaoi fic into my teacher would be a bad idea). There's gonna be one more chapter and that's it, maybe a tiny tiny epilogue. Hope you enjoy.**

I stand beside the headstone, the umbrella above me slightly shaking from the rain hitting it. Everyone around me is crying, but I can't seem to force the frozen tears from behind my eyelids (even though I have so many times before). The priest drones on and on, and I think of how boring Hikaru would have found this.

"Hey, Kaoru," he would have whispered. "What do you think would happen if we pulled a classic?" Then he would grin his mischievous grin, slip his beaten and battered whoopee cushion from his pocket and dart off to place it. And I would follow, grinning from ear to ear.

I remember the headline. _Hitachiin Son Dies In Motorcycle Accident, Leaves Twin Devastated_. They got it wrong, though. I'm not devastated.

I'm broken.

The service ends, and people swarm me. They sob over me, clutching at my sleeves. I nod and bow my head at them but don't feel anything. How could I, when the one that made me feel so alive is now dead?

When the crowd subsides, I walk to where the other members of the host club are standing: off to the side of everyone else. They're not used to being in an atmosphere like this. They seem out of place, and uncomfortable.

Tamaki nods as I approach. Strangely enough, he's the one I grew the closest to in the host club, after Hikaru and I grew apart. He's the only reason I don't regret leaving my brother's own little world.

"We all miss him," Kyoya says. I look past his glasses into his eyes and see sorrow, but none as deep as mine. I admire Kyoya. He doesn't feel much, and it makes me grateful he feels for my brother.

"I'll take you home," Tamaki says. "C'mon." I follow him, not having said anything for the last day, at least. My throat feels sore and dry.

oOo

I watch them walk away. I can sense that Kaoru saw nothing behind my glasses.

No one besides Hikaru ever does…did.

After he broke away from Kaoru, Hikaru was alone. And I couldn't have anybody depressed in club, sales would go down drastically. So I helped him. He practically fell into my arms with sadness. Words poured out of him. It was unlike anything I've ever seen before. I didn't realize he was so afraid after he wandered away from his brother. I'm glad I caught him before he really fell all the way down.

I genuinely felt for him. Caring for someone can impact you beyond anything else. And, over time…

I fell in love with him.

The way he knew what I was feeling, even when I slanted my glasses in the right angle when you couldn't see anything beyond them.

He was the only one that ever knew who I really was, that I was hurting just as much as he was from my father's rejection. I could never achieve what he wanted me to be. I just tried so hard for him, but never as hard as I did to save Hikaru.

I miss that face so much; photographs or video cant capture his beauty. And Kaoru looks just like him. Today, with the hat obscuring his hair, my heart leaped when I saw him. I'll always see Hikaru in Kaoru's face, though he'll never be like his brother.

I wish I had known it would all be for nothing, in the end. This is why I usually refuse to feel anything. A broken heart is all that will come from love.

I know that now, standing in front of the grave of the boy I loved.

oOo

When we pull up in my driveway, I wait a moment before getting out.

I've already decided what has to be done.

He wouldn't have wanted it, but now he's dead. I can't live without him.

Maybe, in time, Tamaki would help me get through this. He's been a great friend, showing up at my door five minutes after he'd gotten the news. If he had been anyone else, I would have chased him from the grounds with tears rolling down my cheeks, rendering me half-blind. But he was Tamaki.

I never quite figured out what bonded us, and puzzle it over some more as Tamaki silently walks up the drive with me. He's funny, handsome, like all the other boys in the host club, and naïve, so naïve. He didn't see it coming when Haruhi broke his heart.

Just like she did to my brother's.

I have no reason to resent her, of course. She always does what is right for everyone. Accepting my brothers affection would have only led to broken hearts and discomfort in the host club. And we're like family: discomfort would cause destruction.

That's why it's so inappropriate for me to love him. As if I could do anything else.

He showed me kindness, and understood me, how I couldn't stand Hikaru moving away. It was slowly killing both of us, but we would rather die than surrender. Tamaki saw this. He stopped me from doing this before-unintentionally, of course. I was on the brink of despair when he started paying attention. I was eternally grateful, and loved him. At first I felt it was like Tamaki's love for the host club: like a father, or a brother. But then I realized it was something more, and I embraced it, dreaming of him.

He never returned my feelings, even though I never showed them.

"Hey," Tamaki says, snapping me back into reality. I look up, the brim of my hat obscuring my vision, blocking his purple eyes. "Are you…never mind. Do you want me to stay?"

I pause, thinking. If he stays, he would know. But I can't have him leave me. Losing someone else before I'm gone myself would be unbearable. I nod, and he walks forwards and wraps his arms around me. "I'm sorry, Kaoru," he says, speaking into my hair. "We miss him. So much."

With my friend's arms around me, where I feel safest now, everything that has been hold up in the bottom of my heart breaks loose, and I sob uncontrollably into his shoulder. He holds me, and I rack his body with my sobs.

I can no longer do this.

When I'm done, I trudge inside and go to the kitchen as Tamaki goes to the living room. He tells me he'll be right there if I need him. I do need him, so much…but I will not hurt him. The pain of my death will injure him, but he will, with the help of the other host club members, recover.

I am being selfish. What right do I have to take my own life? It's old age's or a drunk driver's job to do that. If I was to suffer the same fate as my brother, would it be any less selfish to walk out into oncoming traffic? I do not wish to hurt anyone, but don't my wishes come first?

_Understand, Tamaki. Please._

I shoo the maids from the kitchen, only allowing them time to turn off ovens and stick containers into the fridges. I close the doors behind them and draw a knife from the knife block. I've only held one of these once, back when father was around a little more and we used to cook dinner all together. Hikaru and I would be glad to scuttle around the kitchen opening cabinets and fridges, scampering back to hand them to Father. He would laugh and hand them to Mother, then wrap his arms around her waist. Sometimes he would even let us cut a sausage or two. I remember the way Hikaru's brow would furrow as he grasped the handle. Those meals always tasted better than the gourmet ones the maids prepared. I've long since forgotten the exact taste, though…and with Hikaru dead, Father gone and Mother on the edge of sanity with work, I don't want to remember.

Trudging upstairs to my room, I lock the door toss my wet coat over the back of a chair. I take a chair from the corner of the room and prop it under the door, wedging it tight, then rattle the doorknob a couple of times to make sure it's secure. The coat starts to drip down into the carpet, spreading a stain across the formerly spotless fabric. I sigh. I don't care anymore. This will be easy.

I've already cut myself once before, when Father really, genuinely left. He cut us off when Hikaru and I were 14, and Mother was distraught. So were we. Despite the fact he was never around, we had truly loved our father. When he stopped returning my calls and letters, I decided to lower myself to the commoner's way of releasing pain. I took the small switchblade he had given to me for a past birthday and turned it on my own skin. Hikaru found me lying in a pool of my own blood, with glazed eyes and one hand curled tight around the handle. He held me, washed me clean and bandaged my wrists. I never had to go to a therapist, but now I think it might not have been a bad idea.

That was two years ago, and the scars still remain. I line the blade up with them, feeling the cold metal press against the raised skin. This time, I don't plan to survive.

Knowing that if I wait a moment longer, I'll no longer have the strength to commit this. I slice quickly and firmly, feeling only slight pain and the healed flesh is torn open once again. I don't feel anything else, looking down at my arm curiously as the blood spurts from the cut.

Then my world explodes.

I scream in agony, and know that I've blown the whole thing as I hear a chair being overturned in the living room. _Don't let him get here in time._

But alas, my hopes are in vain. Tamaki is in perfect shape, and he reaches the door only moments after I start to writhe in pain. Blood is covering the ground and my clothes. I can't separate the dark red liquid from the black cloth as the door rattles.

"Kaoru? What's going on in there?'

I can only moan, which morphs into a gurgle as blood trickles from the corner of my mouth. Everything blurs than snaps back into perfect vision as adrenaline surges through my body.

A small pause, then the door and the chair shatter into pieces as Tamaki slams his shoulder into it. Small bits of wood splinters are stuck in his hair, and his purple eyes gleam with rage and sorrow as he falls besides me.

"No," I choke out. "Please-just leave me…"

"God damnit, Kaoru, what did you _do_?" He says, pulling his phone out. "Kyoya," he barks. "I need your best medical team at Kaoru's house, _now_. Because he's dying, that's why! _Move_!"

He snaps it shut and grabs my wrist, pressing his fingers sharply into the cut. I gasp as his fingers are covered in crimson liquid, and his nails send a shock of pain through my arm, though the blood flow slows considerably. I cough up another mouthful of blood, and he growls at me, "Why, you idiot? How could you do this to me?" There are too many emotions for me to make sense of on his face as I lose focus. "Stay with me, Kaoru!"

I answer at swiftly and honestly as I can before I lose consciousness completely, "He was my brother."

Nothing can stop me from falling now, and I hear my brother's voice as I plummet: "It's never been for me, Kaoru. For you. Always for you."

oOo

**Kyoya's POV**

The hospital doors slam open before me. Nurses look up in surprise, but recognition registers on their faces as they see me. I stride up to the receptionist and look her straight in the eyes. No time for host club chivalry now. My last link to Hikaru might be severed!

"Kaoru Hitachiin," I say. "Where is he?"

Leaning back in her chair, she looks through her patients list and finds him. "Yes. Kaoru Hitachiin, room 12 on the third floor. Have a good day, Mr. Ootori," she calls, but I'm already to the elevators before she finishes.

The elevator ride is too long, though it only takes a couple of seconds. I sprint out and down the corridor. Screeching to a stop, I grab the knob and twist it as far as it will go, slamming it open.

Tamaki and a doctor look up in surprise. Tamaki looks awful, and I reel for a second at the loss of the host club's "King's" beauty. My best friend looks terrible. He's the only one I ever cared for more than myself…besides Hikaru.

"Kyoya," he says in surprise.

I nod, looking through the glass to Kaoru's room. I got to stand beside it. "Tamaki, may I speak with the good doctor alone?" He nods and goes into Kaoru's room. "His condition, Dr. Terusoma?"

"Well," the doctor says. "It's not as bad as we thought. The cut wasn't deep. He'll recover soon enough. His condition is steadily climbing in the day he's been here, and I feel he would do even better in an environment outside of the hospital-even if it is owned privately by your father. Hospitals tend to have a dismal effect on people, I've noticed. As I hinted before, I think that a few days at Mr. Suoh's estate would be good for the boy. "

I nod. "Thank you, doctor. I'm afraid I must go now, but please inform me of any new information as Kaoru progresses.

"Yes, Mr. Ootori."

I leave the hospital with my head bowed, and only when I get to my car do I press my forehead against the steering wheel and cry.

Kaoru's face looked so much like Hikaru's, twisted in pain…

oOo

**Kaoru's POV**

My eyelids flutter, and I almost sigh in defeat. Stupid Kyoya. He got there in time to revive me. He's always been good at that…I hear voices, and squeeze my eyes back together again. Maybe if I wait awhile, I'll be able to die again. But then I hear Tamaki's voice.

I can't give that up ever again.

Tamaki seems anxious, his voice strained. The other voice is a gruff one, and I assume he's a doctor, maybe a psychologist of some kind, due to the medical nonsense he's sprouting.

"I can promise you, he'll be fine. The cut wasn't as deep as we thought, though there was more damage. It seems he'd been cut there before. Perhaps he'd been hiding his feelings, and his brother's death was just enough to tip him back into depression. Has he had any history of depression?"

"Once, when he was 14, when his father left. I don't know much, he never likes to talk about it." I twitch at this. He's right. None of the host club members know besides him.

"That's most likely it. A history of family issues, and this current death in his family. Had no one ever bothered to monitor the twins?"

"When you're as rich as we are, no one monitors you unless you get into serious trouble with the law." I repress the urge to laugh. Tamaki summarized the Ouran's student's lives perfectly in that one sentence.

"A most unwise decision," the doctor says sternly. I become angry with this doctor. What right does he have to judge my family, as broken as it is?

"Will he be awake soon?" Tamaki asks. I tense. I need this answer. I have to live, I know now, for Tamaki. For Hikaru.

"Soon," the doctor says, and I allow the slightest bit of breath to escape through my lips, almost a sigh, but not quite. Tamaki sighs too. "We can't make any estimate more specific, though. He'll definitely pull through. Good day, Mr. Suoh."

A door swings shut, a quiet noise. It shakes the room all the same, and I raise my eyelids a millimeter to see Tamaki standing at the room, an intense expression on his face. His hair looks tousled, not purposely like it usually is, but un-styled and messy. His deep purple eyes are ringed with dark circles, bags that cast a glaze over the usually bright irises.

Unable to keep the façade up any longer, I dispel it and open my eyes to gaze upon him. "Tamaki-sama," I croak, my throat even dryer now.

"Kaoru," he breathes, his head snapping up. In the next moment his arms are around me, and I feel his heart pounding under my ear. His tears drip steadily into my hair. "I thought I'd lost you," he sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Tamaki," I say, liquid beginning to slide from the corners of my eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You hurt yourself," he accused, pulling back and holding me at arm's length. He looks at me, and I know what he sees: a small, fragile boy, whose face is streaked with tears and the look of someone who's lost everything. "And _that_, Kaoru, hurts me." He glares.

"Please, don't be mad at me," I say, "I can't-I can't take it."

His gaze softens. "I'm sorry," he says, resting his head in a hand. "You just worried me. Do you…really love him that much? That you can't live without him?"

I squeeze my eyes shut. "I thought I did," I say in a small voice. "But now I know that's not what he would've wanted. " I overcome the pain, and open my eyes. "I also know that I couldn't die. Not yet, not before I showed you something."

He looks at me. "What?"

I take a deep breath, sit up, and kiss him. He tastes like dark chocolate, bittersweet on my tongue. I pull back, dazed from the feel of his lips against mine. I've ruined our friendship, but it was worth it, to feel it for once in my life (even if it is the last).

Carefully, slowly, he touches his fingertips to his lips. A slight tinge of red comes to his cheeks. "Kao-Kaoru…"

"Don't say anything," I say gently. "I'm sorry."

He stares at me, almost in wonder, and in the next second he's gently grasped my shoulders and brought me back to his mouth. I shudder, curling into him, in utter shock. Tamaki is kissing me, running his hands through my hair as if he's never felt or seen it before. His lips, though at first gentle, turn hungry as he moans into my mouth. I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers dusting over his creamy skin.

"Mr. Suoh, please note that Mr. Hitachiin is in critical condition and shouldn't be stimulated in any way at the moment," the doctor says seriously.

"Jesus," Tamaki gasps. His arms tighten around me. "Taze me, why don't you?"

"My apologies. But I am serious. Now is not the time."

I am silent, but then look up at Tamaki and ask, "Why?"

He looks back at me. "I know it's forward to ask for alone time…just a minute?"

The doctor frowns. "Make it quick." He leaves.

Tamaki breathes out.

"I'm sorry," I say. "But I need to know. Do you-"

"Please, Kaoru," he says. His purple eyes center on mine.

"Please what?"

"Please," he says. "Say you love me."

My heart skips two whole beats than restarts in a frantic rhythm.

"I know you said you couldn't take it, but I can't take it either. I've loved you since I saw how much I could help you. You grew stronger through your pain…and I watched you. You were- are –amazing. I love you, Kaoru Hitachiin, and I need you to say it back."

"Tamaki," I whisper. "Oh, God…I love you so much."

Tears are leaking from both of our eyes now. He pulls me back to him, holding my head close to his chest. With my eyes closed, I can hear his heartbeat going as fast as mine.

_The next year, New Years_

Tamaki's face is screwed up in frustration as he stares at the lights crisscrossing across the windows. He's scrutinizing every little bit as carefully as he can. I sigh.

"Look, Tamaki, they don't have to be perfect."

"Don't _have_ to be," he says. "But I want them to be. We deserve it, setting up this party for everyone. New Years isn't exactly a small event. The Suoh's throw it every year!" He throws his arms out dramatically, and a bit of my frustration dissolves as I laugh.

"C'mon," I say warmly, tugging at his sleeve. "Everyone's probably already inside."

Tamaki gives the lights one last evil glare and follows me inside, smoothing his jacket where I rumpled it. "I'm sorry if I seem paranoid, Kao-chan. We worked hard, especially you. I don't want it to go to waste."

"It won't, trust me," I say. I bow my head to hide my smile. Tamaki is…excitable, to say the least.

Haruhi looks up as we enter through the large twin doors of Tamaki's mansion. She smiles tentatively. I wave to her. I honestly didn't expect her to come. She's always been the shyest of the host club, though that's receded as she grew to accept her role as a host.

"Kaoru!" Honey squeals, and I look from Haruhi to see him fly from Mori's arms into mine. I catch him with a grunt, stumbling back a few steps.

"Honey-senpai…" I say warily, not wanting to upset the small boy. "Why don't you and Mori go try out the chocolate fountain? I have to go check on something."

His expression immediately drops to one of utter despair. "Okay," he says sadly. He drops down and plods back to Mori, but lights up again as he sees the giant chocolate fountain we rented for the night.

"Mori! I want the pineapples! And the strawberries! And the graham crackers! Can I get marshmallows too?"

I sigh. We'll probably run out of food for the fountain by the end of the night.

"Congratulations," Kyoya says from behind me, and I jump at least two feet in the air.

"Kyoya-senpai, you scared me," I say, laying a hand on my chest. The Shadow King has only gotten sneakier in his years at the host club.

"I'm sure this will be a successful event," Kyoya goes on, ignoring me. "All the best benefactors of the host club are here. And Tamaki only has one more year here. It's best for him to get what he wants while he can."

"Yes," I say nervously. "About that…"

Kyoya's eyes narrow. "Please don't tell me this is about him."

"After Tamaki graduates this year…I'm leaving too."

"Excuse me?" He said. His knuckles are even whiter than usual, clutching his ever-present clipboard. "Kaoru, that is unacceptable."

"What's so unacceptable about it?" I challenge, crossing my arms. "He's like my brother. We're going to go back to France and start a new design company. We have the influence and the money."

"You cannot sacrifice your education for some senseless dream," Kyoya insists. "Where is Tamaki? I can't allow him to take a first year out of school."

"I'll have graduated from second year when we leave," I say stiffly.

He stares at me for a few seconds, and then stomps off in an opposite direction. I sigh. I didn't mean to offend Kyoya, but this is what Tamaki and I both want.

"Having fun?" Tamaki asks, approaching me with a bright smile on his face.

"I think I pissed off Kyoya," I admit. "He's mad about us leaving school next year."

Tamaki's smile drops. "I knew he would be," he says. "I think he's mostly upset because I didn't bother to tell him."

"Always has to be about you, doesn't it?" I ask teasingly.

He laughs, slinging an arm around my waist and pulling me towards him. I smile up at him, lazily draping my arms around his neck. "He'll come around, you'll see. Give him some time. For now, let's just enjoy the night as it is.

I nuzzle his nose with mine. "Thank you for this, Tamaki."

"Anything for you," he says, sweeping me down towards the floor and dropping his lips to mine. I hear some whoops in the background, and even Mori takes the time for one slow whistle.

"All right, all right, that's enough," I grumble, making Tamaki pull me back up. But a grin still crosses my face.

For the first time since Hikaru…I'm happy.

oOo

**Kyoya's POV**

I slip into the nearest room and close the door. I sink down onto it, unable to see into the dark recesses of the room. I close my eyes.

Again, it's happening. I thought I would be able to keep that last bit of Hikaru if Kaoru stayed, but he was leaving! And he seemed determined. Although that didn't frighten me, Tamaki would be all too willing to fight for it, and I detested the thought of a fight with him.

I take my cell phone from my inside pocket and flip it open. "Hello? Yes, it's Kyoya. Oh, hello, Kirimi. Is Nekozawa there? Oh, great. Would you mind giving him the phone?"

"Hellooooooo…" A voice says.

"Nekozawa, I need you to do something."

"Do you want to join the Black Magic Club?"

"No. I need you to keep Kaoru and Tamaki from leaving Ouran."

"Oh. That simple?"

"Yes."

"Can you do it or not, Nekozawa?" I sigh.

"Yes, I can, my friend, but at a price…"

"What do you want?" I ask. "Name anything."

"Get me a date with Haruhi Fujioka."

"EXCUSE me?"

"Do you want this or not?"

"Fine, fine. Just get it done."

"I will. Goodbyeeeeeeee, Kyoya Ootori…"

I hang up the phone and sigh.

You're not leaving this school while I remain here, Kaoru Hitachiin…


	2. Mending

**AN: I made a mistake! I meant to say Tamaki and **_**Kaoru's**_** moments would be more romantic. Oops.**

**Alucard: You're an idiot.**

**Me: Am not!**

**Alucard: Do you really want to play this game now? Don't you DARE giggle, Seras.**

**Me: I guess not. Damn Draculina, quit laughing or I will go all Intergra on your ass. Ha! That shut you up, didn't it! But anyway, here's chapter two! I hope you like it, since I really like this story. There might be an epilogue, but probably not. If there is, it'll be maybe 500 words? Review if you want it.**

**Kaoru's POV**

I keep my eyes on the girl across from me, my hand carefully entwined with Tamaki's, but I can still see Nekozawa watching me. He's sitting in the corner of the room, having conjured a door. He's peeking around it, his eyes trained on my back. Does he really think I can't see him watching me?

It honestly isn't a surprise. Nekozawa's been following me for a while now. He's working with Kyoya, trying to keep me in school. How do I know this? It could've been because Nekozawa has leapt out at me with one of his voodoo dolls, screaming, "YOU WILL NOT LEAVE OURAN ACADEMY, KAORU! THE VOODOO DECREES IT SO!"

I still don't understand why Kyoya is so desperate. I've gotten talks from teachers, but they've all accepted Tamaki and I are leaving. The host club has all wished up goodbye-in-advance, except for him. He and Tamaki have been on edge lately, the awkward stage between friends and enemies, neither ready for confrontation.

"Kaoru," Tamaki says, and I realize I've drifted off into space again. "Why aren't you giving your attention to these lovely ladies?"

I see an opportunity, and seize it. "Lovely?" I ask, pretending to be hurt. "Do you think these girls look better than me, Tamaki? I didn't realize…" I duck my head, and allow the smallest hint of a sob to escape my chest.

"No," Tamaki hurriedly says, alarmed, and tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his. "Never. You will always be the most beautiful."

The girls swoon. (Apparently they don't care we've just practically insulted them.) Looker deeper into the dark purple orbs, I see he isn't just putting on a show. He genuinely was worried…

I smile. "I know, Tamaki. I didn't mean to worry you." Leaning upwards, I press my lips to his in a quick kiss. Screams echo from all around us, and I hear several thuds as some of our customers hit the floor.

oOo

**Kyoya's POV**

I march up behind Nekozawa, who is staring at Haruhi from across the room. "You've got a hell of a nerve, Nekozawa."

He jumps. "Kyoya-senpai! I was just observing Kaoru to-to find out more about him to prolong his stay at the school."

"I've given up on you, Nekozawa. Haruhi will meet you for an extremely dark dinner in the gardens tomorrow evening."

"Thank you, Kyoya-sensei!"

I grimace. "I just got you a date, didn't save your life. Get a move on."

Nekozawa nods and slips out the door he's conjured. "Goodbye, Kyoya Ootori…HARUHI FUJOKA, HERE I COME!"

I sigh. Nekozawa is hopeless. I don't know why I took him on in the first place. I almost feel bad for Haruhi…but no. I don't feel anything anymore, except for my love for Hikaru. But that's almost gone too, since there's no more means I can use to keep Kaoru here.

"Kyoya?" I hear, and look up to find Tamaki standing over me. "Will you walk with me? I want to talk."

I nod. I wish that he hadn't come to talk to me, for this could only end one way: in a fight.

"Ladies," I say, walking towards the middle of the room. "I am sorry to disrupt you, but the host club is disbanding for the day. Our hosts need their beauty sleep to prepare for you tomorrow."

A mutter of disappointment sweeps the room, but the girls begin to file out of the room. Mitskuni yawns, stretching lazily from where he sits in Mori's lap. Kaoru rises from his chair, nodding towards Tamaki and leaving the room.

I leave next, Tamaki silently following at my side. I make my way to the gardens, the high walls of twisting leaves seeming the right place for a talk like this.

"So," I say, entering the middle of the gardens. Roses bloom around us, ones that are usually featured in the host club's normal setting.

Tamaki clears his throat. "Well," he says, a hand reaching up to rub his neck. "I just wanted to know why you wanted to keep Kaoru at the school so badly."

"That's none of your business," I say calmly, "but if I were to give you an answer, I would tell you that it has to do with personal reasons. Ones I don't care to expose."

"You don't…like him or anything, do you?" Tamaki asks, his eyes suddenly unable to focus on any particular point for more than a second. When I'm silent, he says angrily, "You have a crush on Kaoru, don't you?"

"It's not like that," I snap.

"Ugh, I was right. You do. It's selfish of you, Kyoya, to try to keep him here because of yourself. What about him-about me?"

I growl, "I don't like him. Even if I did, I wouldn't try to keep him here if you wanted to leave. How long have I been your best friend?"

"You don't seem much like it, lately," he says coldly, but I can see regret in his eyes as the words emerge.

I freeze. "You will never understand _anything_ about me!"

"Really? Then explain to me why you're trying to keep him at the school," he challenges.

"I can't tell you that," I say in a quiet voice, looking off towards the side.

I hear him scoff. "So you do like him."

"No!" I yell, spinning towards him. "Why won't you just leave it alone? Why does it matter so much to you?"

He stops, and his anger seems to retreat inside himself for a moment. "You're hurting. I want to help you."

"_No one_ can help me," I scream at him, setting my feet. "Don't you understand? Everything had fallen apart before you two morons decided to leave. It was over far before then."

He looks at me in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

I drop my eyes. Have I said too much? "Nothing. Forget I said anything."

In a split second Tamaki has crossed to me, grabbing my shoulders. "Look, Kyoya. The host club is depending on you! You can't just be wallowing around all the time."

"Don't you _dare_ tell me what to do," I snarl. His hands are burning on my skin, but I can't shake myself free. "This isn't about you."

"I know it isn't. It's about everyone else. Tell me just _what_ is bothering you so much!" He yells, shaking me a little bit this time.

Something inside me snaps. I can almost hear the break. Maybe it was my heart, or my spirit; but I know that I can't hide from my best friend any longer. I collapse, and his arms catch me right before I plummet to the ground. I sob into him, gripping his jacket lapels. He sits down with a thump, and I curl myself into him.

"Kyoya?" He asks, alarmed.

I look up at him, tears still streaming from my eyes. "Hikaru," I whispered. "Tamaki, I loved him so much. And he's gone, dead…"

As I slump back into him and continue crying, I hear Tamaki's heartbeat picking up. He's putting everything together in his head: my words at the funeral, my depression, and anger at Kaoru's departure. "I-I hadn't realized."

"No one ever did," I whisper. "Not even him."

"Kyoya, I'm so sorry. Why-why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't tell anybody," I say, the tears beginning to subside. I feel angry with myself. I couldn't keep the tears going for Hikaru? "My father…he wouldn't approve."

"After all you've done for your family? You didn't have to work anymore for him."

"Yes, I did," I sniffle. "Hikaru didn't love me. Father didn't think much of me either. There didn't seem like there was anyone around me I could trust. It had all fallen apart. I had to keep the one future I knew I could have."

"I'm so sorry, Kyoya," he says, looking down at me. "I'm sorry that I couldn't see you like he did, being your best friend and all."

"It's all right," I sigh, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. "He just never knew I felt this way. And that killed me, every day. It still does."

"I know how you feel," Tamaki says quietly.

I turn toward him in surprise. "You do? How?"

He gives me a crooked smile. "I liked Kaoru. I had for a while, actually. Don't worry," he says quickly at my skeptical expression. "I never liked Hikaru. I could always tell them apart. And then he and Hikaru split, so I went after him. I though he never noticed me, but he had the whole entire time. We were both just scared of rejection. That might've been how Hikaru felt too."

"Well," I say, standing and helping him up. "Now I'll never know, will I?"

"I'm sorry, Kyo-chan. I didn't mean to yell at you. You had me worried, though."

"Like I said, it's all right." I give him a tiny smile, one that's more of a stretching of the lips. "You better get back to Kaoru. Could you-could you please tell him about this? Tell him I'm sorry for trying to keep him here?"

"Sure. C'mere," he says, opening his arms. I step in for a quick hug, squeezing my arms tight around his neck. When I let go, he smiles and leaves, his back hunched just a little bit.

I sigh and rub my eyes again. I'm exhausted. I make my way out of the gardens and back into the main building, calling my driver with an impatient, clipped tone. The car arrives, and I collapse into the leather seats, my legs splayed out on the seats beside me.

I don't even bother to change when I get home, simply taking off my blazer, tie and shirt and falling into bed. The house is silent, my brothers off with my father at a charity auction of some sort.

Despite the many blankets and pillows around me, I still feel chills tracing over my skin.

oOo

**Kaoru's POV**

I cover my mouth with my hand, a shocked noise coming from behind it. "Oh, my God," I breathe. "Kyoya?"

Tamaki nods, a worried expression on his face. "He just told me. Kaoru, he was just in so much pain, I could see it on his face. That's why he tried to keep you here; you reminded him of Hikaru."

I bury my head in my hands. "Oh, no. I feel horrible! I pushed him away, but really he was in love with _Hikaru_…and he's gone…"

"No, Kaoru," Tamaki says, taking my hands away from my face and holding me close to him. "It's not your fault."

"But it is! If only I had been more gentle to Kyoya, maybe-maybe I could've done something to help him…" My breath starts to hitch.

"And what, make him fall in love with you? That wasn't what you wanted. Kyoya has to take some time to heal himself. There was nothing that you could've done. I'm sorry, Kaoru, but Kyoya's strong. He'll make it through with some help from us, but we can't just force him to overcome his feelings."

I sigh. "I guess not…but what if-"

"Look, just don't think about it. He's my best friend, but he's his own person. He can handle himself."

"Okay. Thank you for telling me, Tamaki. Hikaru would have wanted to know."

"I know he would. It's sweet of you to think of him, especially now." He grins down at me. "You look cute when you're worried." I frown, glaring at him but not really meaning it. He laughs. "I love you, you know."

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him in response, our lips colliding in the perfect way. Shivers run through me as his fingers trace my neck, raising the small hairs there. His lips are warm against mine, fitting on my mouth as if they had always belonged there.

He moves so I'm lying on top of him on my bed, and I wind my fingers deep into his silky hair, pulling him closer to me. I can feel his heart beating faster after mine, and I move my fingers to his jacket, undoing his tie and letting it slide from my fingers. A small noise comes from the back of his throat. He pushes his tongue against my lips, asking for entrance. I grant him access, and gasp as his tongue makes his way into my mouth. He chuckles, slipping my already loose jacket from my shoulders. He leans down, his tongue trailing from my neck down the loose neck of my shirt.

"Ta-Tamaki…" I gasp, my hands grasping at the sheets. Every time the tip of his tongue crosses my neck, it feels like fireworks are exploding on my skin. Despite the shaking that has gripped my hands, I still manage to unbutton his jacket and shirt and spread it out before me. His chest is beautiful, toned and muscular. His frame is still lean, though, his arms lanky.

Tamaki's tongue kneads the sensitive skin under my jaw. My hands, needing something to do, trace over his stomach muscles, and he flinches slightly at my touch. His mouth moves away from my neck, and I frown, disappointed, but whine at his touch a moment later as his hand creeps towards my inner thigh. He laughs softly, amused by my sensitivity. I can't help it; Tamaki makes me feel like my skin is on fire and being pricked with a thousand needles. Slowly, under his fingers, my belt comes undone and is thrown to the side. My heartbeat quickens to an impossible rate, and I know he feels it.

His mouth doesn't stay away from my skin for long. His hands, seeming devilishly intent on caressing my skin, find the buttons of my shirt and goes through them quickly. My chest is soon bared, and a bright red flush comes over my cheeks as he stares at me, as if in approval.

"Mm…so beautiful," he murmurs, and leans down to let his tongue flick across the tip of my right nipple.

A noise between a gasp and a moan comes from my mouth, but it only arouses Tamaki even more as his entire mouth engulfs it. My hands, however, trace over the well-defined muscles in his chest. Every bit of stretched muscle stands out on porcelain skin. He's spectacular.

Tamaki's mouth continues to roam across my chest, swirling over every inch of skin. My head is thrown back, almost against my will, as pleasure surges through me. The position I'm in becomes too difficult, and I roll so Tamaki's on top of _me_. He takes his tongue off me for a moment and looks at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Knew a little guy like you wouldn't be the dominant type," he says, grinning.

I smile back, and push myself off the bed to kiss him. His mouth is salty, and sweet at the same time, the taste of sweat and chocolate mixed together in something that shouldn't taste good but does anyway. It's an addictive taste, and as long as I have Tamaki, I know I'll never have to give it up.

oOo (Break time! Because I do not want to write Kao/Tama smut right now…. Sorry. No hate.)

**Kyoya POV**

I stand watching the bags being loaded into the car, servants grunting and panting at the weight of the luggage. One falls over and sprays up dust around the others.

"No, no, no," Tamaki chides the man, walking over. "You must do it…like this!"

With a sweep of his arm, he scoops the man from the ground and smiles winningly at him. The man, being rightfully stunned, watches at Tamaki takes a bag and swings it around on his shoulder, still grinning. He strides purposefully towards the trunk of the car and delicately places the bag in the trunk. He does this with the rest of the bags, earning stares of admiration from the servants.

"And _that_, my friends," he says, grinning. "Is how to properly stock a car's trunk with baggage!" A smatter of applause breaks out from the men.

I sigh. My best friend does not do things the simple way.

"Well, Kyoya. Guess this is it for a while," I hear, and turn to see Kaoru standing behind me. He's still wearing his Ouran uniform.

"Haven't changed yet?" I ask.

"No. I still want to hang onto Ouran…at least for a little while." He smiles. "I'll miss this place. It's quite beautiful."

"It is, isn't it?" I ask softly, gazing back at the campus behind Kaoru. "I hate to say it, but it's not the same without him."

His smile dims a bit, and a slightly haunted look comes into his eyes. "I agree. It makes me happy you loved him. I also hate to say it…but so little people did. He was never appreciated as much as he could've been."

I nod. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"No, no," he said hurriedly. "It's all right." He comes forward and hugs me. I hug back, gripping my arms tight around him. This is Hikaru's brother, Hikaru's blood. "I miss him."

"I as well," I whisper.

"Kaoru!" A voice calls.

I release him and turn to face Tamaki, who approaches us with a bright smile on his face. He sweeps me into another hug (what is with him and the hugs?) and grins over my shoulder at Kaoru.

"Today's a big day, buddy," he says. "The grand opening of _Ma Douche Uke_ is today! We must hurry to our plane if we wish to make it on time."

Kaoru grumbles, "I'm still a little iffy about the title."

Tamaki laughs, letting me go and embracing his lover instead. "Please. Remember that first time? I topped."

Kaoru goes red. "It's innapropriate-umph."

Tamaki cuts him off with a kiss. Releasing him, he turns back to me. I raise an eyebrow.

"I must agree, it is a little….foward. Like you, Tamaki."

He shrugs. "I must agree, dear Kyoya. And now," he says, with a wave of his hand. The car doors open to reveal a spacious and cooled inside of a limo. "Your carriage, and Paris, my prince, awaits."

He sweeps Kaoru off his feet, causing a squeak of embarrassment from the ginger-haired boy. Kaoru's face is bright red. Tamaki smiles broadly at me.

"Good luck, Kyoya. We'll visit soon!" He plops Kaoru in the car and signals to the driver, on which the doors promptly close and the car speeds away, spitting up dust on the still-awed servants.

I watch the car speed away. How could this last little inkling of the Hitachiin twins be taken so quickly?

Out of the corner of my eye, I see someone standing on the sidewalk a little ways away from me. They're wearing all black, and, as the car speeds away, the figure walks towards the school, their stride showing just a hint of insecurity.

I stare after it. Something's familiar…a jolt runs through me.

As the figure turns around, I saw the glint of golden eyes.

It couldn't be….

_No,_ I tell myself. _It isn't_. But my feet carry me forward anyway, walking, and then running after the figure as it disappears inside the building where the host club is situated.

It may just be a mindless hope, but the pounding in my chest says that there's no way I can stop until I confirm that I'm not seeing ghosts or going crazy. Maybe both.

Just as I enter the building, I see the figure slip into Music Room #3. I stop outside of the gilded doors, my chest heaving, and stare at the doorknob. I know that if I step inside of that room my heart will break all over again from disappointment.

Almost having no choice, my hand reaches out and turns the knob. The door opens soundlessly to reveal the figure slipping his hood back…to reveal black hair.

The air rushes out of my lungs, and the figure looks up in surprise.

The face of Hikaru Hitachiin stares back at my, golden irises and all.

"You," I say. "It's…you."

A thousand emotions are rushing through me head all at once. Pain, confusion, heart-break, anger, sorrow, love, all the ones I could and could not name.

He stares at me, mouth wide open. His hands are trembling.

"How could…" I trail off, not more than a few words coming out at once.

Is he alive?

Am I crazy?

Is he dead?

"Kyoya," he says, shock resounding within every inch of his voice.

I shake my head and fall to my knees. "What's…how are you…you're dead."

"No," he says. "I'm not. Kyoya, I'm so sorry."

"I went to your funeral. I heard-I _saw_…"

"No," he says, approaching me. "I swear, I'm not."

"Then _how_?" I scream suddenly. My head jerks up to reveal tears streaming down my face. I can barely see him through the liquid that's obscuring my vision. I slump against the door, slamming it closed.

"Sh," he says, dropping down next to me and holding me as I sob. "It's okay. Everything's going to be okay…"

I can barely breathe for the next five minutes as I sob. I grasp at his jacket, breathing in his scent, clutching at his now-dyed hair, just feeling _Hikaru_…

When my eyes dry, I sit back even more, a small sigh escaping my lips. His arms gently loosen around me, but I don't let them, clutching his arms closer to me. He lets me, his fingers digging deep into my jacket. I don't care. I don't feel the pain, my body is too overcome with shock.

"How?" I ask dully.

He takes a deep breath.

"I faked it. The funeral, the crash…everything."

"I know _that_. Why, is what I should've asked."

There's a long silence.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" I ask sharply, a bit of the razor coming back into my voice.

He takes a deep breath. "I liked-loved-someone. And I knew they'd never love me back."

My heart breaks for the third time today. "That's _it_? You pretended to _die_ over a _crush_?"

"It wasn't a crush," he snaps. "I loved them more than my own brother. They were _everything_. Without them loving me back, there was literally no point to life anymore. But I couldn't leave them entirely…I stayed behind, watching. Dyed my hair. Moved to an apartment. Kept on loving them."

"That's _it_?" I say in outrage, yanking away. He looks up at me with an angry expression as I stand over him. "Do you know how many people cried for you? How devastated we were? We would have all killed ourselves right after you. Don't you get it?"

"I would've gladly done it again for him," he shouts. He's on his feet now too. "I would've killed myself for real a thousand times over for him!"

"Well, I would've killed myself a thousand times over for _you_!" I bellow and then snap my mouth shut and slap a hand over it. _Shit._

Hikaru stares at me, the anger drained from his face. "What?"

_Screw it, he knows now._ "I would've killed myself a thousand times over for _you_," I say. "Because I loved you."

He stares at me. My heart is so broken that it couldn't possibly break again, but nothing that is possible is happening now.

"Kyoya," he whispers.

My shoulders shake. "I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I cried for you. And now you're alive? That almost killed me. Right now almost killed me."

"I can't believe…you loved me?" He says. His voice is shaking.

"I didn't love you, Hikaru. I _still_ love you," I say. I look at him. His eyes are directed at the floor, but snap up to me as I reach the second sentence.

"Kyoya…loves me?" he asks in a small voice. His knees give out, and he collapses on the floor. I drop to the ground beside him. Besides my angry emotions, he's still Hikaru.

"Hikaru?"

"It was you."

"What?" I ask, looking down at him. He raises his tear-stained face to look into mine.

"You. You I died for. Or, almost died for…."

Shock. Pain. Numbness.

Hikaru loved me.

Hikaru _loves_ me.

"Don't," I say to him.

"And now you hate me," he sobs. "Everyone will hate me. I thought I was doing what was right-but-but…"

"Don't," I repeat.

"I just screwed everything up," he gasps.

"Stop talking," I hiss, and he shuts up, his eyes watering and his hands clutching at my jacket.

"What?"

"Stop talking, so I can kiss you."

He doesn't say another word, just grabs me around my neck and pulls me to him. Our lips crash together ferociously, hungrily, and all I know now is him. Hikaru, his taste, like fresh strawberries still covered in water, his scent, tangy, like some sort of spice. My hands move to grip the back of his head, holding him closer to me, tangling in his hair. I don't care what color it is, it's still his.

We only break when we can't breath anymore, and even then I only take a short break before crushing my lips back to his. He doesn't mind, relaxing when I do and winding his arms around my neck when I move to kiss him again. We're perfectly in sync with each other, knowing when the other moves and what they want.

I think more than an hour has passed when we break apart for real, and event hen we don't stay apart. I hold him, his head right next to my chest, and I cry, the tears leaking into his hair. The more water drips on it, the more it comes off, until parts of his black hair are exposed by bits of ginger.

"That's a nice dye job you got there," I say, and he laughs. "I've always wanted this. I just…never had the courage to come out with how I really feel. But I thought you always knew, since you could read me so well."

"I think I did see it," he says. "But I was just afraid to believe it."

"There's no reason to be afraid anymore," I say.

Just then, Kaoru comes in the other door, sees me and Hikaru hugging, and screams.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

**AN: Okay, so. Looks like there's gonna be an epilogue after all. Yay for cliffhangers! TamaxKao and KyoxHika forever! Love you guys. Please review.**


	3. Proposal

**AN: This was meant to be short and quick and a little less complicated, but a certain person under the alias "Death the Kid" (cough cough Emma) was moaning about how she would forever worship HikaxKao and this story was not ethical (because it did not have twincest). Just a little bit of Hikaru in the beginning.**

**Hikaru's POV**

Kaoru stares at me sitting in Kyoya's arms, his eyes literally bulging out of his skull. He raises a finger to point at me, his entire body shaking.

"H-Hikaru. It's him, Kyoya, it's him!" he croaks, a hand reaching up to cup his throat.

"It's me," I say. "Kaoru, I can explain."

"My brother is dead," he says quietly, shaking his head so fast he's a blur. "It's just a dream, he's dead. No. No, no, no, no, no, NO!" he suddenly screams, clutching at his head.

"Kaoru!" I say, standing up and walking towards him. "Listen to me for a minute."

He stumbles back a few steps and then falls backward onto his butt. He stares up at me with wide eyes. "You're dead…I planned your funeral. I saw the body…saw you in the morgue…"

"That wasn't me," I say urgently, crouching beside him. "It was a dummy."

He shakes his head again. "You're a spirit. A shinigami, maybe? My brother is DEAD."

"I'm not," I insist. "Look, Kaoru, I'm here."

I grab his hands and press them to my chest where my heart is pounding, begging to break out of my ribcage. His eyes are wild, broken and sorrowful.

"I'm here," I say softly.

In the next second, his hand comes up and slaps me across the face.

"OW!" I say, alarmed. "W-what was that for?"

"I almost killed myself for you! I almost _died_!" he screams.

He curls up into a ball on the floor, wrapping his arms around his knees and rocking back and forth. Muffled sobs come up from behind his knees.

"What?" I turn toward Kyoya. "What's he talking about?"

"After you 'died,'" Kyoya said, making the quotation marks in the air as he speaks. "Kaoru tried to commit suicide. He would have succeeded, too, if I hadn't made it there in time. Everyone was fantastically worried. They almost lost the last Hitachiin son."

I sit back on my heels, my vision suddenly swimming. _Kaoru_…I stare at him. _Tried to kill himself…for me?_

Another second passes, and I'm knocked back into the floor as Kaoru wraps his arms around me. I hold him back as he sobs, shock still making my bones feel as like rubber.

"I t-thought you were g-gone," he sobs into my shoulder. "H-Hikaru…I missed you so much…"

"Me too," I whisper. "Me too."

oOo

**Kyoya's POV**

After much yelling, almost everyone manages to forgive Hikaru. Mitskuni takes a day to process it, locking himself and Mori inside his room. I can't say for sure what went on in there (the door was too thick for us to tell), but after a few hours, Mori slides a note under the door asking if we have any lubrication and condoms around. Tamaki nearly strangles Hikaru when he sees him, screaming that he had almost murdered Kaoru, but then realizes that he's too glad to have him back to kill him. His mother screamed the instant she saw him, almost passing out in a dead faint. The media's gone completely crazy, pushing for interviews and photo shoots and magazine articles.

There was one who isn't able to forgive him, though. And that's Haruhi.

She's been holding the belief that she was responsible for Hikaru's death for some time, and the pressure has been steadily sending her into a deep depression. Seeing him alive pushed her over the edge, causing her to flee the school and lock herself in her room much as Mitskuni has. Her father won't let anyone near the house, and my guards are afraid to venture within 100 feet of the grounds with him waving an enormous frying pan.

Hikaru won't accept it. He tries to talk to her, but she won't talk to him: no returns to calls, emails, or letters. I don't think she ever will. I contemplate this as I wait for Hikaru to return, my eyes firmly glued to the clock. I would have gone out with him to meet his brother, but I had a feeling that the two brothers wanted some alone time with their mother.

As I sit waiting, a moment passes where I take my eyes of the clock and look around the room. It's the living room for the apartment Hikaru and I are now sharing. My father wasn't happy when he learned of my relationship, evicting me from the house. One of my older brothers told me he "did not see fit to have one of those disgusting deviants in the house." I feel lucky to not have been cut off entirely, though I can't help but feel relieved that I'm not in the same house as that vile old man anymore.

My head snaps up as I hear the sound of keys jingling in a lock. Hikaru enters the apartment and throws his keys on the table, stepping out of his coat. It's barely been shrugged off his shoulders and tossed on the table before I stand behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. He stiffens for a moment and then relaxes as he looks up into my face.

"How was lunch?" I ask.

I don't get words as a response. Instead, I find his lips coming up to rest on mine. I hold the kiss for a second, cradling his mouth to mine before he leans back. He grins.

"The lunch didn't taste nearly as good as you do. It wasn't the same without you."

I chuckle. "Strange, the silence wasn't the same without you either."

"Did you really sit here the whole time, waiting?" he asks teasingly.

I think, closing my eyes for a second. "I did, actually."

Hikaru laughs. "Silly Kyoya. You didn't need to."

"But I _wanted_ to," I whisper into his ear.

He shivers at my touch, his grin dimming the tiniest bit as he leans back into my arms.

"You're worth it," I breathe.

"You didn't need to waste your day just sitting around waiting for me to get home," he says, blushing. "You could've gone out with Tamaki."

"Tamaki," I say, "was doing the exact same thing I was: waiting for _his_ twin to get home. I wouldn't want to disturb him."

"Tamaki didn't need to either," he protests.

"Yes, he did," I say.

I grin and turn him around, firmly pressing my lips down. He grumbles, but wraps his arms around my neck anyway. I kiss him tenderly, cradling his head to mine, and he curls his body into mine, his hands lacing through the short hair at the base of my neck.

When we break, he snaps his fingers. "Oh! Almost forgot." He turns to his coat and takes an envelope from his pocket, then hands it to me with a grin on his face. "Here, read this."

Curiously, I look on the backside of the letter, and find the address of Tamaki and Kaoru's new mansion in France. I slide the card out of the envelope, and do a double take as I see the large words on the top of the small piece of paper.

_The Suoh family and the Hitachiin family invite you to the wedding of Tamaki Suoh and Kaoru Hitachiin, to be held on the Ouran Academy grounds on April 23__rd__ of the year next._

Hikaru squeals as I stare at the paper. Silently, I take my phone out of my pocket and dial Tamaki's number.

"Excuse me for a moment," I say, turning away from a puzzled Hikaru.

Tamaki picks up after the second ring.

"Kyoya, I'm so glad you called! You heard the news, then?"

"YOU BASTARD!" I roar, causing Hikaru to jump. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR ME!"

"Er, well, yes, Sorry about that," Tamaki stammers while a very confused Hikaru stares at me. "But, er, Kaoru was _this_ close to finding out and it was either do the deed or have him find out and blow the whole thing-"

"I had the timing down and everything!" I scream. "You better resend those cards, buster, because there's no way we're not doing this exactly. As. Planned. GOT IT?"

"Y-yes, Kyoya-senpai!"

I hang up with a growl, shaking my head. I turn back to Hikaru with a tired expression.

"I had planned to do this differently," I say, dropping to one knee and reaching into my coat pocket to retrieve the small box. Hikaru gasps, and his hands fly up to cover his mouth. "But Tamaki was apparently much too quick in advancing our plan."

A small noise comes from behind his hands. His eyes are shining, and, as I slowly open up the box to reveal an elegant gold band, his knees begin to shake.

"Hikaru Hitachiin," I say to him. "I'm so glad that out of all the host club members, you accepted my help and my help only. I loved you from one of the very first days I saw you. Losing you made me think that not only you had died, but I had too. I had no one to turn too, no safe place to run too. But then you came back, and I was living all over again. You make everything beautiful with your kindness and charm. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Hikaru, I love you. Will you marry me?"

"K-Kyoya," he says tearfully. "Yes. Of course, always."

"That's what I like to hear," I say, and slide the ring from the box onto his ring finger.

He falls to the ground in front of me, and I gather him up in my arms. "Oh, Kyoya, I love you so much."

I smile, closing my eyes and resting my head against his shoulder. "Isn't that the point of this, though?"

"It is," he sobs.

I squeeze him tighter, holding him close to me as the tears splash against my glasses. "I love you, Hikaru."

"That's what this is all about," he whispers. "Together."

**AN: Ah, short chapter! Ritsukaa! Why didn't you say anything?**

**Ritsuka: Was I supposed too?**

**You and Yukiro are supposed to warn me if a chapter gets too short!**

**Yukiro: I'm a doctor, not an editor.**

**You're no fun.**

**Ritsuka: It seems fine. It's pretty long if you ask me.**

**IT'S UNDER 2000 WORDS! THAT'S TOO SHORT!**

**Yukiro: Just like Soubi's-**

**Ritsuka: WATCH YOUR MOUTH!**

**Next chapter comes the wedding! Prettyness awaits. Love you guys! Please review!**


	4. Update

April 23, 2012

This is a message for all my subscribers that will be taken down in 2 days (because is a bitch and doesn't like updates). Listen, I barely spend any time on anymore. I mean, I still favorite and subscribe, but I don't post anything. So instead, I'm moving everything to my deviantART (which I spend a lot more time on), intricatebindings[dot]deviantart[dot]com. Eventually, I'll start moving the stories from onto there, and you'll all be able to read them again.

Hope to see you again.

Intricate Bindings


End file.
